Bed Bugs
Key
Features of Bed Bugs
A once common pest of slum dwellings, the incidence
of bed bugs is now much reduced by improved standards
of hygiene. They still occur with some regularity, particularly
in multi-occupancy buildings with rapid resident turnover,
such as hostels, holiday camps and blocks of flats.
The adult bug resembles a small brown disc, about 3.5mm
long - the size of a match head. It is wingless but
the legs are well developed and it can crawl up most
vertical surfaces, e.g. bed legs.
Bedbugs also produce a characteristic unpleasant smell.
Biology
The females produce 2 to 3 eggs every day throughout
their lifespan, which can be several months. The elongated
eggs are cemented in cracks or crevices close to the
hosts. There is no larval stage; the young hatch as
nymphs, mini versions of the adults.
There are 5 nymphal stages before the bugs reach adulthood
and each requires a full meal of blood.
Fully-grown bedbugs can endure starvation for several
months – infested rooms may have bugs under wallpaper
or in crevices in the furniture and joinery. They emerge
at night to feed. Bedbugs have well defined resting
sites in which many individuals from all the different
life stages are found.
Distribution
Bedbugs are found all over the world, but most
commonly in multi-occupancy buildings with a rapid resident
turnover.
Significance
Bedbugs are a significant pest to humans because they
feed on blood. They emerge to feed mostly at night while
their “hosts” are sleeping. Their bite can
cause severe local irritation and itching; there is
a possibility of secondary infection.
Where the infestation is very high there is a slight
risk of anaemia for the human hosts. Bats, chickens
and other domestic animals can also be affected.
Control
A thorough inspection is necessary to determine the
source and extent of any bedbug infestation. The pests
may have entered through second hand furniture or be
hiding under wallpaper, where they may have lain undetected
for several months.
Once the source of the infestation and any harbourages
are located, they should be treated with a residual
insecticide.
